The manufacture of semiconductor devices, TFPV modules, optoelectronic devices, etc. entails the integration and sequencing of many unit processing steps. As an example, device manufacturing typically includes a series of processing steps such as cleaning, surface preparation, deposition, patterning, etching, thermal annealing, and other related unit processing steps. The precise sequencing and integration of the unit processing steps enables the formation of functional devices meeting desired performance metrics such as efficiency, power production, and reliability.
As part of the discovery, optimization and qualification of each unit process, it is desirable to be able to i) test different materials, ii) test different processing conditions within each unit process module, iii) test different sequencing and integration of processing modules within an integrated processing tool, iv) test different sequencing of processing tools in executing different process sequence integration flows, and combinations thereof in the manufacture of devices such as integrated circuits. In particular, there is a need to be able to test i) more than one material, ii) more than one processing condition, iii) more than one sequence of processing conditions, iv) more than one process sequence integration flow, and combinations thereof, collectively known as “combinatorial process sequence integration”, on a single monolithic substrate without the need of consuming the equivalent number of monolithic substrates per material(s), processing condition(s), sequence(s) of processing conditions, sequence(s) of processes, and combinations thereof. This can greatly improve both the speed and reduce the costs associated with the discovery, implementation, optimization, and qualification of material(s), process(es), and process integration sequence(s) required for manufacturing.
HPC processing techniques have been successfully adapted to wet chemical processing such as etching and cleaning. HPC processing techniques have also been successfully adapted to deposition processes such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). However, the CVD and ALD adaptations of HPC techniques generally deposit materials on relatively large areas of the substrate. As an example, ALD deposition on a quarter of the substrate is common. However, it is desirable to deposit materials on a substrate using CVD or ALD in a site isolated manner wherein the size of the region is very small relative to the substrate. Therefore, there is a need to develop methods that enable the deposition of materials using CVD, PECVD, ALD, or PEALD on small segments in a site isolated, combinatorial manner to form multilayer film stacks.
Further developments and improvements, particularly innovations that enable flexibility and increased throughput, and provide combinatorial processing, in thin film deposition are needed.